The Thunder Rolls
by TinkerBella7
Summary: Just a little tag for THE LARGE BLADE because the bromance was awesome and I wanted to add to it. With just a teeny tiny bit of Mac Whumpage.


Less than an hour after meeting the new director of the Phoenix Foundation, Matty Webber, MacGyver and Jack were on a plane to Kuwait. It was a long enough ride that they could both catch some sleep, but Mac found himself unable to relax enough to even try. Instead he focused his attention on his partner. To his surprise, Jack was slumped in his seat and completely silent. Which wasn't like his normal behavior. Usually he was chatting away or listening to music on his phone. And by listening Mac meant singing along. So he was starting to worry a bit.

"Hey, Jack?" Mac prompted.

"Hmm?" Jack responded, absently.

MacGyver moved to crouch beside him. "Hey, are you okay? Seriously, man. Are you up for this mission? Is your head okay?" Jack's head-butting technique was effective, but the consequences were less than desirable.

Jack held up a hand to stop MacGyver's rambling. "I'm fine. My head is fine. I have a thick skull and I took some Advil."

"You sure?" Mac wasn't buying it.

"Stop hovering and stop worrying," Jack countered, waving MacGyver back to his own seat. He didn't miss how stiffly the kid moved as he stood up, nor the wince as he sat back down. Now Jack was the one who was starting to worry. He knew Victor had done a number on the both of them, with the big guy having nailed Mac in the ribs at one point. He also knew, from experience, that being in a crash landing always made itself felt in the aftermath.

Leaning forward, Jack asked, "You feeling okay, Mac?"

Frowning at the question, MacGyver replied, "I'm fine, Jack. Why wouldn't I be? You're the one freaking out about Matty Webber, not me." The moment the words were out, Mac would have given anything to take them back. He was definitely tired, otherwise he wouldn't have blurted out that little tidbit, which he knew Jack would totally latch onto like a dog with a bone.

"Ah..." Jack knew that the kid was worried about the new boss. "I see what's going on." He patted Mac on the leg. "Matty the Hun is getting to you already."

"I don't know what you're talking about," MacGyver countered, hearing the petulance in his tone and wincing at it. Denial wasn't just a river in Egypt, and he knew it. In all honesty, after his first encounter with Director Webber, Mac was feeling uncertain.

Jack sighed. "That's what she does to people, Mac. She gets under their skin and keeps them off-balanced. You never really know where you stand with her."

Not what Mac wanted to hear. He leaned his head back and rubbed his temples to ease the throbbing ache that had taken up residence since they'd finished their debrief of the last mission. "I should have listened to you about her," MacGyver confessed.

"I may have been over-dramatizing a little," Jack countered, because he really had been. At the same time, he hadn't been wrong to be worried and now they both knew it. "She's good at what she does, Mac. She'll do a good job." As bitter as Jack was about not even being offered the position, he knew the Foundation would be in good hands. Ultimately, his place was in the field with MacGyver.

"My concern is that she'll change things up," Mac admitted. "We have a great team, we get the job done. Will she mess with that?"

Jack had been wondering the same thing. "I don't know. I hope not. I can tell you that she's read up on us and she knows our track record. She'll know everything we've done. Everything you've done pretty much from the day you were born."

Mac grimaced. "That's not comforting, Jack." He really wanted to be reassured that his team would remain intact. They weren't broken, so he really hoped Director Webber would not feel the need to fix them.

"I was going more for being factual," Jack replied. "I know you like your facts, Mac. The only thing I can really say that might make you feel better is that Matty the Hun likes results. She's a stickler for some things, and sometimes not so much. Like I said, she likes to keep people off-balanced, so you never know what she's going to say or do. Or how she'll react to something, because everytime you think you've got her figured out...she'll change it up. That said, she's all about the bottom line. Completing the mission is what she cares about. We always get it done, bro. So cheer up."

"Not really helping," MacGyver drawled. He pushed out of his seat with the intent of getting a water, but he hissed and doubled over at the pull on his ribs. Victor the giant had hit him hard and even though he didn't remember the landing when they crashed, he was certainly feeling the impact now that his adrenaline high was fully depleted. It felt like every bone and every muscle in his body ached.

Jack was out of his seat and pressing Mac back into his. "You okay? What hurts?"

MacGyver waved him off. "Everything hurts, Jack, but I'm fine. Just sore." He made to stand up again.

"Where you going?" Jack blocked him from getting up.

"To get a water." MacGyver gestured to the back of the plane where a mini fridge held a stash of water bottles.

Jack kept a firm hand on Mac's shoulder. "Stay put, I'll get you one." He was gone and back before the kid could protest.

MacGyver accepted the water and took a sip. He sighed when Jack stayed beside him, eyeing him with concern. "I'm okay, really. Stop staring and back off, you're starting to creep me out." He kept his tone light and teasing to reassure his friend that he really was okay.

"Right." Jack returned to his seat, but he leaned forward and locked eyes with MacGyver. "When we were in that lightning field and facing certain death. Well, I just want you to know that...I do love ya, kid. You're like my little brother. And no matter what Matty the Hun tries to do, we stick together." He held out his fist.

"Deal," Mac said, as he fist bumped Jack. "And I feel the same about you, although I see you more as an elderly - but beloved - Uncle." He chuckled at the glare Jack sent his way and tried to duck as a hand came at him, only for Jack to ruffle his hair instead of smack him, like he had expected.

Jack sat back, grinning as he took the sight of Mac's hair sticking up. "Now you look like the twelve year old you really are," he taunted.

MacGyver scowled as he tried to fix his hair. "Do that again and I'll sick Matty the Hun on you."

"Go for it, Blondie," Jack challenged. "Or should I call you Paper Clip Boy? That's actually my favorite."

"Keep it up," MacGyver invited him, smirking. "Just remember that I will get even and it won't be pleasant. For you."

Jack considered and realized he'd best back off for a bit. The last time Mac had threatened to get even with him it had resulted in Jack having blue hair. "It's all good, bro. It's all good." That said he watched MacGyver shift in his seat and graimce. The kid was beat down and exhausted. They both were. "Nap time for you and me," Jack announced. "We need to be fresh as Daisy's when we land so we can impress the new boss with our secret agent skills."

MacGyver couldn't help but chuckle. "Remind me again why I put up with you?"

"But I'm awesome and don't you ever forget it," Jack stated, as he grabbed a pillow and blanket from the overhead storage and tossed them at MacGyver. "Now go to sleep," he ordered, as he settled in with his own pillow and blanket.

"Working on it," MacGyver replied, as he scrunched the pillow behind his head before shaking out the blanket. He let his eyes closed and counted backwards to make himself relax. But what worked better to soothe his mind was Jack softly singing a Brooks song.

As he drifted off to sleep, Mac found himself believing that whatever Director Webber had in store for them, let her bring it. Because MacGyver knew Jack would always have his back.

THE END


End file.
